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Noctuidae
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Noctuidae (Owlet Moths, Underwing Moths)
This is a large family of small- to medium-sized hairy moths. They often have gray, brown, or yellow-tan patterns on their wings, but sometimes have patches of white, green, or pink. Sometimes the hindwings are lighter-colored than the forewings. The Underwing Moths, however, tend to be larger, and have showy hindwings with patterns of yellow/orange and black. Male moths in the Noctuid family have plume-like antennae to detect pheromones from females. Noctuid moths also have the capacity to detect sonar from bats, which helps to reduce losses from predation. The caterpillars of Noctuid moths feed on a wide variety of plants, including even dead leaves, fungi, and lichens. They are sometimes serious pests on agricultural crops and forest trees. Larval hairs are not used in the construction of cocoons, unlike moths from some other families.
- Hilty, J. Editor. 2015. Insect Visitors of Illinois Wildflowers. World Wide Web electronic publication. illinoiswildflowers.info, version (01/2015)
See: Abbreviations for Insect Activities, Abbreviations for Scientific Observers, References for behavioral observations
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Rights holder/Author | Copyright © 2002-2015 by Dr. John Hilty |
Source | http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/flower_insects/files/lepidoptera.htm |
De uiltjes behoren tot een grote vlinderfamilie met meer dan 25.000 bekende soorten. Het zijn stevig gebouwde nachtvlinders. De voorvleugels zijn gewoonlijk onopvallend gekleurd, maar de achtervleugels hebben soms veel fellere kleuren. In rust houden uiltjes hun vleugels vaak als een dakje boven het vlinderlichaam, maar soms ook vlak en elkaar overlappend. Op de foto staat een gamma-uiltje, die zo heet naar de Griekse letter gamma, die op zijn vleugel staat. Deze soort vliegt ook overdag. De rupsen van uiltjes zijn gewoonlijk plomp en weinig behaard.
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Rights holder/Author | Ecomare |
Source | http://www.ecomare.nl/index.php?id=3710&L=2 |
Unikonta
The Noctuidae or owlet moths are a family of robustly-built moths that includes more than 35,000 known species out of possibly 100,000 total, in more than 4,200 genera. They constitute the largest family in the Lepidoptera.
Their distribution is worldwide with about 1,450 species found in Europe.[1][2][3]
Most have drab forewings, although some have brightly coloured hindwings. There are usually few differences between the sexes. The overwhelming majority of noctuids fly at night and are almost invariably strongly attracted to light. Many are also attracted to sugar and nectar-rich flowers.
Some of the family are preyed upon by bats. However, many Noctuidae species have tiny organs in their ears which responds to bat echolocation calls, sending their wing muscles into spasm and causing the moths to dart erratically. This aids the moths in evading the bats.
Several species have larvae (caterpillars) that live in the soil and are agricultural or horticultural pests. These are the "cutworms" that eat the bases of young brassicas and lettuces. They form hard, shiny pupae. Most noctuid larvae feed at night, resting in the soil or in a crevice in its food plant during the day.
The Noctuidae are also remarkable for containing an extraordinary number of species whose caterpillars are able to feed on certain poisonous plants without harm. These foodplants — namely Solanaceae (e.g., Nicotiana) and Fabaceae (e.g., Sophora) — contain chemicals that would kill most insects trying to feed on them.
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Systematics
Division into subfamilies, and the number of subfamilies is unsatisfactory and varies somewhat in various taxonomical systems. Several moth genera are not yet robustly assigned to subfamilies:
- Amazonides
- Amilaga
- Ammopolia
- Anartomorpha
- Androdes
- Anaphela
- Anhausta
- Aplectoides
- Apoxestia
- Astonycha
- Atlantagrotis
- Axylia
- Calpoparia
- Consobrambus
- Cryphiomima
- Macrobarasa
- Oediconia
- Parasoloe
- Plectothripa
- Pseudotryphia
- Quadratala
- Syagrana
- Talhoukia
- Zazanisa
Recent molecular studies,[4][5] however, have shown that the family Noctuidae is paraphyletic. The subfamily Plusiinae should be raised to family status. The Noctuidae sensu stricto should be confined to trifines. The quadrifid noctuid subfamilies are paraphyletic (or perhaps polyphyletic) and should be grouped in a clade with the Arctiidae and Lymantriidae. The terms trifid and quadrifid refer to the number of veins from the lower part of the hindwing midcell.
Example species
- Acronicta aceris (The Sycamore)
- Acronicta exilis (Exiled Dagger Moth)
- Acronicta leporina (The Miller)
- Acronicta psi (Grey Dagger)
- Cryphia domestica (Marbled Beauty)
- Amphipyra pyramidea (Copper Underwing)
- Amphipyra tragopoginis (Mouse Moth)
- Spodoptera cilium (Dark Mottled Willow, Lawn Caterpillar or Grasslawn Armyworm)
- Spodoptera exempta (African Armyworm)
- Aporophyla lueneburgensis (Northern Deep-brown Dart)
- Cucullia umbratica (The Shark)
- Discestra trifolii (The Nutmeg)
- Mamestra brassicae (Cabbage Moth)
- Melanchra persicariae (Dot Moth)
- Lacanobia oleracea (Bright-line Brown-eye)
- Hecatera bicolorata (Broad-barred White)
- Hadena bicruris (The Lychnis)
- Cerapteryx graminis (Antler Moth)
- Panolis flammea (Pine Beauty)
- Orthosia cerasi (Common Quaker)
- Orthosia gothica (Hebrew Character)
- Mythimna ferrago (The Clay)
- Mythimna impura (Smoky Wainscot)
- Helicoverpa zea (Cotton Bollworm)
- Schinia varix
- Noctua pronuba (Large Yellow Underwing)
- Eugnorisma glareosa (Autumnal Rustic)
- Lycophotia porphyrea (True Lover's Knot)
- Diarsia mendica (Ingrailed Clay)
- Xestia c-nigrum (Setaceous Hebrew Character)
- Xestia triangulum (Double Square-spot)
- Xestia sexstrigata (Six-striped Rustic)
- Xestia xanthographa (Square-spot Rustic)
- Naenia typica (The Gothic)
- Euxoa nigricans (Garden Dart)
- Agrotis infusa (Bogong Moth)
- Agrotis segetum (Turnip Moth)
- Agrotis clavis (Heart and Club)
- Agrotis exclamationis (Heart and Dart)
- Ochropleura plecta (Flame Shoulder)
- Abrostola tripartita (Spectacle)
- Cosmia trapezina (The Dun-bar)
- Apamea crenata (Clouded-bordered Brindle)
- Apamea sordens (Rustic Shoulder-knot)
- Brachylomia viminalis (Minor Shoulder-knot)
- Eupsilia transversa (The Satellite)
- Agrochola circellaris (The Brick)
- Euplexia lucipara (Small Angle Shades)
- Phlogophora meticulosa (Angle Shades)
- Omphaloscelis lunosa (Lunar Underwing)
- Autographa gamma (Silver Y)
Additional examples:
- Apina callisto (Pasture Day Moth)
- Axylia putris (The Flame)
- Antitype chi (Grey Chi)
- Thalpophila matura (Straw Underwing)
References
- ^ Fibiger, M., 1990. Noctuinae 1. - Noctuidae Europaeae 1, Sorø, Denmark
- ^ Fibiger, M., 1993. Noctuinae 2. - Noctuidae Europaeae 2, Sorø, Denmark
- ^ Fibiger, M., 1997. Noctuinae 3. - Noctuidae Europaeae 3, Sorø, Denmark.
- ^ Weller, S. J., Pashley, D. P., Martin, J. A., and Constable, J. L. (1994). "Phylogeny of noctuoid moths and the utility of combining independent nuclear and mitochondrial genes". Systematic Biology (Systematic Biology, Vol. 43, No. 2) 43 (43): 194–211. doi:10.2307/2413461. http://jstor.org/stable/2413461.
- ^ Andrew Mitchell, Charles Mitter, Jerome C. Regier (2006). "Systematics and evolution of the cutworm moths (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae): evidence from two protein-coding nuclear genes". Systematic Entomology 1 (31): 21–46. abstract online
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Rights holder/Author | Wikipedia |
Source | http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Noctuidae&oldid=406356831 |
The owlets belong to a very large family of moths with more than 25,000 known species. They are stoutly built. The front wings are often somber while the hind wings are sometimes very brightly colored. When resting, owlets fold their wings as a roof above their body or flatten them, overlapping one another. You see a silver-y in the picture above, named after the silvery-colored y-shaped marking on its wings. Silver-y moths are also active during the day. Owlet caterpillars are usually plump and have few hairs.
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Rights holder/Author | Ecomare |
Source | http://www.ecomare.nl/index.php?id=3710&L=2 |
Diversity description:
This family is comprised of more than 35,000 species (Kitching and Rawlins 1998).
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Rights holder/Author | Leptree.net, Jennifer Zaspel, LepTree |
Source | http://www.leptree.net/lep_taxon_page?id=15575&scientificName=Noctuidae |
Geographic Range:
Nearctic, Palearctic, Oriental, Ethiopian, Neotropical, Australian, Oceanic Island
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Leptree.net, Jennifer Zaspel, LepTree |
Source | http://www.leptree.net/lep_taxon_page?id=15575&scientificName=Noctuidae |
Apomorphies:
Spinneret is a tubular structure. Males with abdominal scent brushes on A1. Bullae fused. Scaphium membranous. Plural sclerite between the tegumen and vinculum. Larvae with two SV setae on A1. Muscle present between tegumen and transtilla. Juxta typically surrounded a membranous diaphragm. Posterior apophysis expanded into a pre-apical rectangular or diamond-shape plate
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Rights holder/Author | Leptree.net, Jennifer Zaspel, LepTree |
Source | http://www.leptree.net/lep_taxon_page?id=15575&scientificName=Noctuidae |
Animal / parasitoid / endoparasitoid
larva of Cyrtophleba ruricola is endoparasitoid of larva of Noctuidae
Animal / predator
larva of Dasysyrphus tricinctus is predator of larva of Noctuidae
Animal / parasitoid / endoparasitoid
larva of Eumea linearicornis is endoparasitoid of larva of Noctuidae
Animal / parasitoid / endoparasitoid
larva of Eurysthaea scutellaris is endoparasitoid of larva of Noctuidae
Plant / pollenated
adult of Noctuidae pollenates or fertilises flower of Platanthera chlorantha
Other: major host/prey
Animal / parasitoid / endoparasitoid
larva of Oswaldia muscaria is endoparasitoid of larva of Noctuidae
Animal / parasitoid / endoparasitoid
larva of Phorocera assimilis is endoparasitoid of larva of Noctuidae
Animal / parasitoid / endoparasitoid
larva of Phorocera obscura is endoparasitoid of larva of Noctuidae
Animal / parasitoid / endoparasitoid
larva of Ramonda prunaria is endoparasitoid of larva of Noctuidae
Animal / parasitoid / endoparasitoid
larva of Ramonda spathulata is endoparasitoid of larva of Noctuidae
Animal / parasitoid / endoparasitoid
larva of Siphona collini is endoparasitoid of larva of Noctuidae
Animal / parasitoid / endoparasitoid
larva of Tachina fera is endoparasitoid of larva of Noctuidae
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Rights holder/Author | BioImages, BioImages - the Virtual Fieldguide (UK) |
Source | http://www.bioimages.org.uk/html/Noctuidae.htm |